Nissan, Canadian Solar Form Partnership on V2H (vehicle-to-home) system.

Nissan Motor and Canadian Solar Japan will cooperate in selling a V2H (vehicle-to-home) system capable of storing solar electricity generated by a residential solar power generation (PV) system in Nissan’s “Leaf” electric vehicle (EV).

Canadian Solar Japan is a Japanese subsidiary of Canadian Solar Inc, a major solar panel manufacturer. For the V2H system, Canadian Solar’s “Soliev” residential PV/power storage system is used.

It stores surplus solar electricity in two storage batteries (stationary battery and EV battery) and can transmit power from both of the batteries.

As a result, the definition of the EV can be changed from an “electricity-powered vehicle” to a “storage battery that can also travel,” and it becomes possible to increase the amount of solar electricity self-consumed at each residential house, according to Nissan Motor and Canadian Solar Japan.

Such a usage becomes more effective at corporate offices, etc. The two companies might expand the application of the system to businesses (in addition to residences) in the future, they said.

Thus far, the Leaf has been sold to consumers who value it as a means of transportation, said Katsuko Kozuka, director of Nissan’s Japan EV Department. The latest effort is a big step toward offering its value as a storage battery, which is a value that is produced when the vehicle is not running, she said.

The capacity of the Leaf’s storage battery (40kWh) is large for residential use. So, when the Leaf is used as both a storage battery and vehicle, its cost effectiveness can be drastically improved.

The power consumption of an average household in Japan is about 10kWh. The battery with a capacity of 40kWh can supply electricity to a residential house for more than three days at the time of disaster, etc. In addition, by storing solar electricity during daylight hours, the system can increase the amount of solar electricity self-consumed at a house, Kozuka said.